Ungrateful Daughters: The Stuart Princesses Who Stole Their Father's Crown

In 1688, the birth of a Prince of Wales ignited a family quarrel and a revolution. James II’s drive towards Catholicism had alienated the nation and his two staunchly Protestant daughters by his first marriage, Mary and Anne. They are the 'ungrateful daughters' who usurped their father's crown and stole their brother's birthright.Seven prominent men sent an invitation to WIn 1688, the birth of a Prince of Wales ignited a family quarrel and a revolution. James II’s drive towards Catholicism had alienated the nation and his two staunchly Protestant daughters by his first marriage, Mary and Anne. They are the 'ungrateful daughters' who usurped their father's crown and stole their brother's birthright. Seven prominent men sent an invitation to William of Orange---James' nephew and son-in-law---to intervene in English affairs. But it was the women, Queen Mary Beatrice and her two stepdaughters, Mary and Anne, who played a key role in this drama. Jealous and resentful of her hated stepmother, Anne had written a series of malicious letters to her sister Mary in Holland, implying that the Queen's pregnancy was a hoax, a Catholic plot to deny Mary her rightful inheritance. Betrayed by those he trusted, distraught at Anne's defection, James fled the kingdom. Even as the crown descended on her head, Mary knew she had incurred a father's curse. The sisters quarreled and were still not speaking to each other when Mary died tragically young. Anne did nothing to deserve her father’s forgiveness, declaring her brother an outlaw with a price on his head. Acclaimed historian Maureen Waller recreated the late Stuart era in a compelling narrative that highlights the influence of three women in one of the most momentous events in English history. Prompted by religious bigotry and the emotion that beset any family relationships, this palace coup changed the face of the monarchy, and signaled the end of a dynasty. ...more

Community Reviews

The history of the last three Stuarts to rule England: James II, Mary (of William&Mary) and Anne. Quick history run down: Charles I was executed by his people. His eldest son, Charles II, was invited back to rule after living in exile. Charles II died without legitimate issue, so his younger brother James II inherited. Unfortunately, James II had publicly converted to Catholicism during a time that England was so viciously anti-Catholic (just as the Catholic countries were viciously anti-ProThe history of the last three Stuarts to rule England: James II, Mary (of William&Mary) and Anne. Quick history run down: Charles I was executed by his people. His eldest son, Charles II, was invited back to rule after living in exile. Charles II died without legitimate issue, so his younger brother James II inherited. Unfortunately, James II had publicly converted to Catholicism during a time that England was so viciously anti-Catholic (just as the Catholic countries were viciously anti-Protestant) that Catholics were banned from serving in the military or holding office, and were still attacked in the streets. His choice of religion, his lack of political accumen or ability to compromise, and his complete lack of personal charm made him an unpopular king. When his new Catholic wife, Mary Beatrice of Modena, gave birth to a healthy baby boy (who would presumably be raised Catholic, meaning that the next King of England would *also* be Catholic), it served as the catalyst for Parliament to invite his oldest daughter to rule in his stead. Mary, who had married William (elected Prince of Orange), insisted that they rule jointly. William headed to England with an army, and James II fled. Mary and William assumed the throne, rocked the war of the Spanish Succession and a few other wars that all blend together, and in the end secured the right to trade slaves through Spanish territories, which basically made England's fortunes in the next century. Mary, then William died, and so Mary's younger sister Anne assumed the throne. Anne had [seventeen pregnancies, but none of her children survived, and so after her death the Stuart line of rulers was broken. Although their younger half-brother James III (the Pretender) was alive and constantly trying to become King of England, he never succeeded, and the throne went to the Hanovers in the form of George I.

The deck was stacked against this book from the start. The first problem is the title and central conceit: that Mary and Anne were "ungrateful" and "stole" their father's crown. Anyone who knows anything about James II knows he lost that crown all by himself. No one wanted that clumsy, narrow-minded bigot on the throne a second longer, and after reading about the numerous instances he could have saved his claim but didn't, either out of cowardice or misreading of the situation or just stupidity, I couldn't blame them. (Lisollet, my favorite historical figure of the time, said "The more I see of this King, the more excuses I find for the Prince of Orange, and the more admirable I think he is." Of his exile, Madame de Sevigne said it even more succinctly: "When one listens to him, one realises why he is here.") And as someone who grew up in a democratic nation, I find it very hard to believe anyone "deserves" a throne just by virtue of birth. From my perspective, James II had a more than fair chance of ruling, but he screwed it up repeatedly and so was justly removed. Waller talks about James II like his rights were violated, but if anyone's rights were violated, it was the countless peasants and slaves without a vote or voice at all. Waller stops trying to portray Mary and Anne in the worst possible light once James II is dead, and the book is better for the lightening of the authorial judgment. Her other mis-step is to switch between time points, so that first James is exiled in France, and then abruptly (without any transition) we're back in time watching William III grow up. Confusing!

That said, Waller lards the book with the full texts of letters and copious quotes, so one truly gets a feel for their voices. And she has a good grasp of the history of the time, which is pretty complicated (due to being more globally-reaching than previous eras). I would have liked more citations and less insertion by the author of the motivations or feelings of the historical figures, but in the end I did feel like I learned a bit from this book. And it's written with a clear, lucid style which is all too rare....more

The Stuarts were more than a series of Scots-English monarchs, they were a contentious family filled with ambitious, egotistical, often ignoble figures who were not above slipping the knife in to advance their own careers. The generational and religious tension chronicled in this well-written true-to-life soap opera began with James II’s move toward the Catholic Church, which alienated both his people and his two staunchly Protestant daughters, Mary and Anne, each of whom reigned after him. WhetThe Stuarts were more than a series of Scots-English monarchs, they were a contentious family filled with ambitious, egotistical, often ignoble figures who were not above slipping the knife in to advance their own careers. The generational and religious tension chronicled in this well-written true-to-life soap opera began with James II’s move toward the Catholic Church, which alienated both his people and his two staunchly Protestant daughters, Mary and Anne, each of whom reigned after him. Whether Mary’s husband, William of Orange, usurped the crown in the Glorious Revolution depends on your point of view, but Anne (who wasn’t speaking to her older sister at the time of her early death) declared her half-brother, James ("The Old Pretender"), an outlaw — having previously claimed, in letters to Mary, that their hated stepmother’s pregnancy was a Catholic hoax and plot. Waller’s narrative is compelling and enjoyable as well as informative. You can almost see a screenplay waiting to be written. . . ....more

I read this book because I'd had a discussion with my son in which I was musing about who had succeeded Charles II. My son said he thought it was James II, a monarch I hadn't heard of. This book outlines the fall of James and rise of his daughters (and William of Orange). As I was unfamiliar with this period, it was all new to me.

I found the first portion of the book slow going, as the author chose to provide biographies of each of the players in the piece. While it was important to provide thisI read this book because I'd had a discussion with my son in which I was musing about who had succeeded Charles II. My son said he thought it was James II, a monarch I hadn't heard of. This book outlines the fall of James and rise of his daughters (and William of Orange). As I was unfamiliar with this period, it was all new to me.

I found the first portion of the book slow going, as the author chose to provide biographies of each of the players in the piece. While it was important to provide this information (and it might have been challenging to write it if she'd done a more chronological sequence), I found it confusing and going into the chapter about William, I felt completely lost as to where I was chronologically.

After that, the book picked up and really came alive as she simply told the story. Well-written and meticulously researched this was, despite its bumpy start, an enjoyable, enlightening book.

I suppose my only quibble is a lack of insight into James' behavior, as she criticized his waffling when William invaded, and criticized his decision to flee. Considering what happened to his father, I can only imagine the emotional turmoil and utter fear and panic he would have felt, and a determination to avoid his father's fate at any cost. But...perhaps I'm wrong.

Very well written. Would be of no use, however, as an introduction to the Glorious Revolution and the end of the Stuarts. Waller's choice to structure the book around each individual key player would be confusing to the uninitiated (actually, it was occasionally confusing for me, I confess), though it did hold my interest to follow her unfolding the story in layers. You can probably guess from the title that she looks with rather a jaundiced eye at Mary and Anne's justifications for accepting thVery well written. Would be of no use, however, as an introduction to the Glorious Revolution and the end of the Stuarts. Waller's choice to structure the book around each individual key player would be confusing to the uninitiated (actually, it was occasionally confusing for me, I confess), though it did hold my interest to follow her unfolding the story in layers. You can probably guess from the title that she looks with rather a jaundiced eye at Mary and Anne's justifications for accepting the crown of England in defiance of their fugitive father. It seems to me that the Glorious Revolution is good example of the doctrine of the lesser magistrate, in which case Mary and William's actions are entirely defensible, but I'll have to give it further thought. The numerous detailed eyewitness accounts certainly disprove the silly warming-pan baby propaganda, but I think Waller is a bit too dismissive of the threat to England of imposed Catholicism....more

Interesting account of the end of the Stuarts in England. Until the last century there remained vehement opponents of the switch to Hanoverian rule.

James II's daughters, Mary and Anne, were Anne Hyde's daughters. They resented their stepmother, Mary of Modena, and were so bitter at her baby son's arrival (cue pushing towards their throne) that a family row ensued, escalating into a coup against their father aided by public fears and anti-Catholic prejudices.

James II, as Charles II's younger brotInteresting account of the end of the Stuarts in England. Until the last century there remained vehement opponents of the switch to Hanoverian rule.

James II's daughters, Mary and Anne, were Anne Hyde's daughters. They resented their stepmother, Mary of Modena, and were so bitter at her baby son's arrival (cue pushing towards their throne) that a family row ensued, escalating into a coup against their father aided by public fears and anti-Catholic prejudices.

James II, as Charles II's younger brother, had not always been expected to rule. The latter, however, left no legitimate heirs. Only when James came under greater scrutiny as king did his Catholicism come into much question publicly, the matter having been kept discrete like many sensitive royal details.

Malicious rumours erupted concerning the baby prince's legitimacy, the harshest being that he was an imposter smuggled into the palace in a bed-warming pan after Mary's real baby died. The likelihood, or not, of this is examined, as is the issue of post-reformation England's then governmental power mongers (and proletariat) dreading any return to a Catholic monarchy. The last had been Bloody Mary Tudor, under whose watch 283 Protestants had been executed for heresy, most by burning.

James II's baby heir, James Francis Edward Stuart, later to become nicknamed the Old Pretender, was taken to France by his mother who feared for his life, and kept by his cousin Louis XIV of France.

James II then fled England for his safety when it became apparent that his Protestant son-in-law, William of Orange would invade at the request of James' detractors. James' baby son was railroaded from the succession by Mary and William. That couple ruled jointly until William died, leaving just Queen Mary II. With no offspring, Mary's demise left Queen Anne to wind up the Stuart rule. Her disastrous run of 17 pregnancies left no living offspring either. So came their Hanoverian cousins, descended from the same Stuart grandparents via the maternal line.

These two 'Ungrateful Daughters' on James II, as the title suggests, are not portrayed sympathetically. This may not be not author bias, but more likely the way many have remembered them. Neither went down in history as hugely popular monarchs, although Anne's reign saw nationalistic development, notably the 1707 Acts of Union whereby her realms of England and Scotland became united as Great Britain, creating Europe's largest free trade area.

Ungrateful Daughters is an insightful account of the 1688 Glorious Revolution and two rather troubled and troublesome sisters, neither of which became greatly revered. Anne became more iconic than Mary but without attaining much personal popularity with all those around her. Political and diplomatic achievements of Anne's governments, and the absence of constitutional conflict between herself and parliament, indicate that she chose ministers and exercised her prerogatives wisely. Her reign marked an increase in the influence of ministers and a decrease in the influence of the Crown

The Stuarts have been tagged a jinxed dynasty, with Mary of Scots and her grandson Charles I's executions, the latter's triggering England's republic. Then, after the long awaited and greatly hailed Restoration, Charles II's morally lax court attracted fresh disrepute. His many controversial bastards but no legitimate heirs signalled the beginning of the end for these Stuarts. Two unsuccessful invasions and coups by leftover Stuarts were plotted after the Hanoverian branch was called in: the 1708 Jacobite Rising, led by the Old Pretender, and the 1745 Jacobite Uprising led by his son, the Young Pretender (Bonnie Prince Charlie).

An important era to study in piecing together how the UK got today's royals, whose convoluted lineage runs from William the Conqueror ... via the tragic forbear of these very Stuarts: Mary Queen of Scots (and her Hanoverian descendants). Maureen Waller makes the characters and their motives accessible, coherent and dramatic without switching from meticulous documentation to melodrama.

Keeping track of the House of Stuart is like the children's nursery rhyme ("The toe bone connected to the foot bone, and the foot bone connected to the ankle bone..."), except without all the sense and order of basic anatomy. Going back to Mary, Queen of Scots you then have James VI of Scotland, who helped produce Charles I, who then helped produce James II. From James's loins of a first marriage comes Mary II and her sister Anne, and that is where the trouble begins in Maureen Waller's biographKeeping track of the House of Stuart is like the children's nursery rhyme ("The toe bone connected to the foot bone, and the foot bone connected to the ankle bone..."), except without all the sense and order of basic anatomy. Going back to Mary, Queen of Scots you then have James VI of Scotland, who helped produce Charles I, who then helped produce James II. From James's loins of a first marriage comes Mary II and her sister Anne, and that is where the trouble begins in Maureen Waller's biography. His second marriage produced another James (try and keep up), who then pushed past Mary and Anne to be the rightful heir to the throne, creating a lot of anxiety and jealousy in Mary and Anne.

So then you throw into the royal mix a difference of opinion on religion and all bets are off. James II was extremely Catholic and wanted to force that upon his people during a time when Catholicism was just not in vogue. His daughters felt opposite of their father's beliefs also, and used that, according to Waller, as a way to take their father's crown away from him.

Lies and betrayal and a lot of cattiness ensue, William of Orange comes along and takes over; he marries Princess Anne, succeeds the throne, leaving James II high and dry. Princess Mary actually managed to feel some sympathy later for her father and is frightened by having a curse placed on her by her father and indeed she dies early, at the age of thirty-two, having not spoken civilly to her near and dear sister Anne.

This is a fascinating story, as most of those of the British monarchy, but Waller's version of it is rather watered down and a little too Melrose Place for my taste. There are a lot of different Jameses, Annes, Marys, etc. in royalty and unfortunately Waller did not manage to clearly keep them straight, even with the family chart and a 'Cast of Characters' in the beginning. The picture inserts in the first quarter and last quarter of the book were decent and helped add some familiarity to some of the names being thrown around. It was good to read about the princesses who often go un-represented in history, but I wish their story could have been told with a little more authority here....more

Author Maureen Waller has delivered an overview of the Glorious Revolution. It is not for those who know the story, but good for someone like me, more steeped in Tudor than Stuart history. The genealogy chart is excellent and I referred to it often. There is a table of characters but the one time I consulted it, for Elizabeth Villiers, it was lacking. The color plates were mostly appropriate, especially the portrait of James II side by side with James Francis Edward.

The first section, comprisedAuthor Maureen Waller has delivered an overview of the Glorious Revolution. It is not for those who know the story, but good for someone like me, more steeped in Tudor than Stuart history. The genealogy chart is excellent and I referred to it often. There is a table of characters but the one time I consulted it, for Elizabeth Villiers, it was lacking. The color plates were mostly appropriate, especially the portrait of James II side by side with James Francis Edward.

The first section, comprised of biographies of the principle players in the Glorious Revolution, was a page turner for me. The second part, about the Revolution itself is a good summary, inspiring me to read more about it. Although this arrangement meant some duplication in the story, the reiteration of events paced the story in a way that I could absorb much better than if it were a single narration.

The third part does not measure up to the first two. While it is titled "Consequences" it is really a continuation of the story. It relies heavily on quotes from letters and in some sections has more cut and paste than text.

These girls were raised by staff while their parents hoped for sons. Add to it James's philandering, his autocratic personality and that their stepmother was introduced to them as a playmate and you can envision a childhood of emotional need. One thing they were clearly taught by these distant parents was the value of having the crown. From their tutors they were steeped in the righteousness of Protestantism and the evils of Catholicism. I'm not sure that "grateful" and "ungrateful" are words to be applied here, since they essentially did what they were raised to do. Anne operated, like so many claimants to thrones before and after, using religion and the events of the day to her advantage and Mary operated as the dutiful/obedient wife, which was heralded as saintly perfection in her time, as her husband took the throne.

This is not a book for those who are knowledgeable about this period. It worked for me, because I am not. The first part will keep you glued. ...more

I learned a lot about the politics and circumstances surrounding the Glorious Revolution. The book has tons, tons of detail which is why I gave it three stars. The detail was good but made it rather cumbersome to read. The first part of the book was particularly laborious to read. The author goes into almost excrutiating detail to describe the lives and characters of the principal figures (James II, Mary, William, and Anne particularly). While I agree that the information helps to understand whyI learned a lot about the politics and circumstances surrounding the Glorious Revolution. The book has tons, tons of detail which is why I gave it three stars. The detail was good but made it rather cumbersome to read. The first part of the book was particularly laborious to read. The author goes into almost excrutiating detail to describe the lives and characters of the principal figures (James II, Mary, William, and Anne particularly). While I agree that the information helps to understand why each did what he/she did, I think it might have been presented a bit better. Once the author began describing the events of the actual Revolution, the pace sped up and improved the book greatly.

Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who wants to understand why the Revolution happened and why the princesses behaved as they did. Even though there are still questions, the reader will be much more informed about this very important turning point in British history....more

This book tells the story of Mary and Anne, the 'ungrateful' daughters of James II who rule England after he is deposed. This is a period in history that I was not familiar with, I was embarrassed to realise how little I knew of 'The Glorious Revolution' and of Mary and Anne, so I enjoyed the chance to fill in these gaps provided by this book.

I did take a while to get into the book however, the first few chapters broadly cover the same events, but from different characters perspectives which I dThis book tells the story of Mary and Anne, the 'ungrateful' daughters of James II who rule England after he is deposed. This is a period in history that I was not familiar with, I was embarrassed to realise how little I knew of 'The Glorious Revolution' and of Mary and Anne, so I enjoyed the chance to fill in these gaps provided by this book.

I did take a while to get into the book however, the first few chapters broadly cover the same events, but from different characters perspectives which I did find a bit annoying. Once these strands came together later on though this was no longer a problem.

I did find that the book explained the events well (and having just finished the Pepys biography many of these were fresh in my mind) plus I enjoyed reading a historical book that focussed on both the women and men of the time. However rather like the Pepys biography, I didn't come away liking the main characters that much....more

It starts off a bit confusingly by focusing chapters on some of the individual players. So there becomes a lot of redundancy as it tackles from person's perspective. Once it starts narrating the events involving everyone, it is a lot easier to follow and to deal with.

Maureen Waller's narrative of the Stuart sisters is engaging and accessible to a modern audience. Her facts are well documented and infused with just enough imagery and emotional interpretation to create a reasonably accurate and credible picture of specific events in the lives of this fated and absurd family--like the night of James II's escape from London via boat, and the reaction of King William III to his devoted (and badly used) wife Mary's death. Easy to read with a remarkable grasp of thMaureen Waller's narrative of the Stuart sisters is engaging and accessible to a modern audience. Her facts are well documented and infused with just enough imagery and emotional interpretation to create a reasonably accurate and credible picture of specific events in the lives of this fated and absurd family--like the night of James II's escape from London via boat, and the reaction of King William III to his devoted (and badly used) wife Mary's death. Easy to read with a remarkable grasp of the historical framework, Waller presents a complex moment in history in terms that leave little to be desired. Full thumbs up, and ready for the next read from this promising author....more

This was a very well-written look at the Glorious Revolution of 1688 that deposed King James II of England, the factors that led to the event, and the roles played by the two future queens, Mary II and Anne, in their father's downfall. Of particular interest to me was the portrayal of Princess/Queen Anne, whom Waller paints as being an exceedingly ordinary woman, but one with a staunchly Anglican Protestant worldview coupled with a streak of ruthless cunning, both of which come to the fore whenThis was a very well-written look at the Glorious Revolution of 1688 that deposed King James II of England, the factors that led to the event, and the roles played by the two future queens, Mary II and Anne, in their father's downfall. Of particular interest to me was the portrayal of Princess/Queen Anne, whom Waller paints as being an exceedingly ordinary woman, but one with a staunchly Anglican Protestant worldview coupled with a streak of ruthless cunning, both of which come to the fore when the birth of her half-brother means the threat of a Catholic dynasty taking over the throne. Recommended to anyone interested in English history or early modern European history....more

A fascinating account of a period I had not previously bothered with much, it being both too late for what I am usually interesting in and too early.Politically it was full of surprises, I knew the basic premise of course, but the details were amazing. For sheer stupidity combined with blind ruthlessness, the Stuarts took some beating.From the point of view of the relationship between a father and his daughters it was even more interesting. For anyone who wants to know more about a turning pointA fascinating account of a period I had not previously bothered with much, it being both too late for what I am usually interesting in and too early.Politically it was full of surprises, I knew the basic premise of course, but the details were amazing. For sheer stupidity combined with blind ruthlessness, the Stuarts took some beating.From the point of view of the relationship between a father and his daughters it was even more interesting. For anyone who wants to know more about a turning point in the history of this country and wants it told in an intelligent, but also entertaining fashion, I recommend this. ...more

One of the challenges of belonging to a Reading Group is that occasionally someone will choose a book that you really don’t want to read. My heart dropped when Ungrateful Daughters was suggested; I’m not really interested in history, don’t read a lot of non-fiction and this looked like a weighty tome. It turned out to be fascinating; a wealth of research turned into an enthralling family saga that really brings the main protagonists to life.

I really enjoyed the book, kind of slow in some places. It was very imformative about King James II and his daughters Queen Mary of Orange and Queen Anne of Denmark. For those of us who don't know to much about these people, the book gives us alot of information. I found it to be a very good source of information about thes times too. I also got to know the people. Very interesting.

"Ungrateful Daughters" is the first non-fiction book I enjoyed reading. Really! I used it during research on Queen Anne, and found myself unable to put the book down. Waller does a fantastic job bringing the characters and the landscape to life, making this read more like a novel than nonfiction.

Excellently-researched and thoroughly absorbing biography of the events leading up to the depose of James II of England. I always wandered what the sisters who seized his crown were like. All I knew about Anne was her tragic childbearing history. This book cleared much of that up. Great book.

This is very well written and organized. The book gave me a good idea of what the family dynamics were while all of these events were progressing. I was engrossed and also learned about the castles, the living arrangements, the "secondary players" and all the rest of the details.

Interesting look at England's "Glorious Revolution." Author changes her opinion in the very last paragraph of the book though (throughout has seemed to have a very poor opinion of Queens Mary and Anne, and then suddenly decides what they did for the best).

Well, now I know a little bit about how the House of Hanover became kings and queens of England, and what happened after Cromwell stopped being in charge of England. If anyone deserved to lose their crown because of damn fool behavior it was King James.

Maureen Waller was educated at University College London, where she studied medieval and modern history. She received a master's degree at Queen Mary College, London, in British and European history 1660--1714. After a brief stint at the National Portrait Gallery, she went on to work as an editor at several prestigious London publishing houses. Her first book was the highly acclaimed 1700: ScenesMaureen Waller was educated at University College London, where she studied medieval and modern history. She received a master's degree at Queen Mary College, London, in British and European history 1660--1714. After a brief stint at the National Portrait Gallery, she went on to work as an editor at several prestigious London publishing houses. Her first book was the highly acclaimed 1700: Scenes from London Life. She currently lives in London with her husband, who is a journalist and author....more